Chapter 94: Shattered Plans

The Cracros Grand Hotel stood glittering beneath the midnight sky, its windows reflecting the city lights like scattered diamonds.

Inside one of its luxurious suites...

Crash!

A crystal vase shattered against the marble floor, fragments scattering like ice.

Crash!

A lamp followed, its base cracking, the bulb exploding.

Crash!

A porcelain figurine exploded into dozens of pieces, white shards skittering across the polished stone.

Missy Hawthorne stood in the middle of the room, breathing heavily, her chest heaving. Her beautiful face was twisted with rage, her eyes wild, her hands trembling.

"Damn her! Why! Why does everything always end up in her favor?"

She kicked over a chair. It slammed into the wall with a loud thud, leaving a dent in the expensive wallpaper.

She had only come to Cracros for one reason—to watch Mindy Wilson suffer.

When she learned Mindy was attending the Ashridge Auction, she had immediately persuaded Drake and Layton to bring her along, pretending she wanted to buy something for herself, playing the role of the interested younger sister.

Everything had gone according to plan. The Angel Tear had sold for an outrageous one hundred and fifty million dollars. Mindy had walked away in despair—or so she thought. Missy had almost celebrated, her heart soaring with vindictive joy.

Who could have imagined that in the end, the tiara would still return to Mindy?

She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "Ugh!"

Just then—

Ding Dong.

The doorbell rang, the sound cutting through her fury.

Missy took several deep breaths, forcing her expression to smooth, her breathing to steady. She quickly checked her reflection in the mirror—no tears, no anger, only composed neutrality. Only then did she open the door.

Standing outside was a woman wearing oversized sunglasses, their dark lenses hiding her eyes. A scarf completely covered her face, wrapped tightly around her nose and mouth.

Missy frowned, her voice cautious. "Who are you?"

The woman pulled the scarf down slightly, revealing her face. "It’s me. Tori."

Missy’s eyes widened, her voice dropping to a hiss. "Aunty?"

Tori entered immediately, brushing past Missy. Missy quickly checked both sides of the hallway—left, right, empty—before shutting the door and locking it.

"Aunty! What are you doing here? We shouldn’t be meeting like this. Especially after everything that happened today."

Tori’s patience snapped instantly, her voice sharp. "Do you think I wanted to come here? My mood is already terrible. And now you’re lecturing me?"

Missy inhaled deeply, her shoulders dropping. "I’m sorry, Aunty. I’m just so angry. Everything was going exactly according to plan, and Jasper Wilson ruined everything." She looked toward Tori, her expression desperate.

"How did that local broker get arrested?"

Tori rubbed her forehead, her fingers pressing against her temples. "I don’t know. I personally bought his plane ticket. I even instructed him to leave Cracros immediately after handing over the tiara. But somehow, the police received an anonymous tip. They arrested him for illegal auctioning before he could leave."

Missy’s expression darkened, her jaw tightening. "What did the police say?"

Tori sighed, her voice weary. "They’ve prohibited me from leaving Cracros. They’ll continue investigating. I’ve already returned the money. So at worst, I’ll probably face disciplinary action. Or pay another fine." She paused, her voice dropping. "HE is furious."

Missy’s heartbeat quickened, her pulse pounding in her ears. "The person who contacted me said HE wants to know how we managed to involve the police. And why we handled such a simple matter so carelessly."

Missy’s face turned pale, the color draining. "What should we do?"

Tori lowered her voice, her tone conspiratorial. "HE told us to lie low. He believes someone is deliberately targeting us. He’s already investigating. We’ll know soon."

Missy slowly sat on the edge of the bed, her legs giving out. "He’s right. First the Bright Competition. Then Maxine Magazine. And now this. Everything keeps going in Mindy’s favor."

Tori narrowed her eyes, her expression calculating. "Do you think she’s behind all of it?"

Missy remained silent for several moments, her mind racing. "I don’t know. But she’s definitely part of it. She’s changed. Especially after I blamed her for stealing the designs. She always had a sharp tongue, but before, she stayed quiet for her family. Now she doesn’t hold back anymore. We can’t control her."

Tori gently patted her shoulder, her touch reassuring. "Don’t worry. We’ll think of something. We always do."

Missy shook her head, her voice hollow. "I don’t think it’ll be that easy anymore."

At that moment, Emily Hawthorne called, the phone buzzing loudly. Missy immediately answered, her hand trembling.

The moment the call connected, Emily roared, her voice crackling through the speaker. "What the hell happened? It was such a simple task! How did everything go wrong?"

Tori pinched the bridge of her nose, her expression pained. "We don’t know. Everything went according to plan. But someone interfered."

Emily sounded furious, her voice rising. "The police called me again. They want my statement. How did this investigation even reach us?"

Missy answered quietly, her voice barely audible. "It was Mindy. She asked for the original sale documents."

Emily exploded, her voice shrill. "That bitch! We should’ve dealt with her long ago! She’s destroying everything! Our carefully planned schemes are failing one after another!" She took a sharp breath, her voice shaking. "And Drake called Raymond. He practically lectured me. ’How could you lose the documents?’ ’How could you forget the auction house?’ What was I supposed to tell him? There was never any sale! There was never any auction house!"

Emily’s breathing became uneven, ragged. "I waited so many years before selling Maria’s tiara. I deliberately chose the perfect timing so it would never lead back to us. And now, how am I supposed to handle this?"

Tori spoke calmly, her voice steady. "Stick to your first statement. That’s all we can do for now. I’ll think of something."

Emily became silent, the line crackling. Then she said, her voice dropping, "Missy. You remember our plan? This time, there cannot be any mistakes. Understand?"

Missy nodded immediately, her voice firm. "Yes, Mom. I know."

Emily ended the call, the line going dead.

The suite fell silent, the air thick and heavy. Neither woman spoke. Both understood—things had begun slipping out of their control.

Meanwhile, inside the private lounge of Cracros Elite Club, Sebastian Valecroft, Lucian Ashridge, Theodore Ashridge, and Layton Knight sat around a quiet table, the atmosphere relaxed. Crystal glasses reflected the warm amber lights, the whiskey glowing like liquid gold.

Theodore broke the silence, his voice thoughtful. "Today was... eventful. I would’ve never guessed Mrs. Cooper would do something like that."

Sebastian swirled the whiskey in his glass, the ice clinking. "No one really knows where she came from. No one knows her past. Everyone only knows she married Richard Cooper."

Theodore nodded, his expression contemplative.

Layton suddenly asked, his voice cutting through. "Who was the mystery buyer?"

Lucian leaned back, his posture relaxed. "We don’t know. James Thornwell’s employer is still a mystery. After James left, it was like he disappeared. There isn’t a single trace."

Layton fell quiet, his jaw tightening. Then he looked toward Lucian and Sebastian, his tone dry. "One thing surprises me. How are you two sitting at the same table?" He pointed between them.

Sebastian smirked, his expression amused. "We aren’t wild animals. We don’t spend every second fighting." He took another sip. "And frankly, I’m too tired to stand."

Theodore laughed, the sound warm.

Sebastian glanced sideways at Lucian, his tone teasing. "Your grandfather is completely obsessed with you marrying Miss Wilson."

Layton’s grip tightened around his glass, his knuckles whitening.

Lucian groaned, his voice pained. "He has been like that since college. Then she married someone. I was finally relieved. I thought Grandfather would stop." He sighed. "But now she divorced, and he’s started again."

Theodore smiled, his eyes sparkling. "I actually like Miss Wilson. Didn’t you see her twist Mrs. Cooper’s wrist? I almost jumped from excitement. I was trying so hard not to laugh."

Lucian smiled faintly, his expression softening. "That was pretty impressive."

Sebastian suddenly looked toward Layton, his gaze sharp. "You look like you’re about to punch someone." He casually continued, "You know her, don’t you? Your girlfriend is her stepsister."

Layton’s expression instantly darkened, his voice cold. "Who said she’s my girlfriend?"

Theodore blinked innocently. "Isn’t she?"

Layton’s voice turned icy. "No. She isn’t."

Lucian looked confused, his brow furrowing. "But she’s always with you. If not your girlfriend, then what?"

Layton slammed his glass onto the table, the sound sharp. "She’s. Just. A. Friend."

Sebastian narrowed his eyes, his tone skeptical. "Friends don’t cling to each other like that."

Layton stood abruptly, his chair scraping. "I’m leaving." He finished the remaining whiskey in one gulp, the liquid burning. Without another word, he walked away, his steps heavy.

The remaining three exchanged confused glances, their expressions bewildered.

Inside his car, Layton stared absentmindedly through the rain-speckled window, the droplets streaking down the glass. His eyes slowly drifted toward the bandage wrapped around his injured hand, the white fabric stark against his skin. His grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Did everyone really think Missy was his girlfriend?

His chest tightened painfully. Regret. Guilt. Longing. Everything he had buried rose to the surface once again, overwhelming him.

Back at the Presidential Suite, Jasper Wilson and James Thornwell sat quietly on the balcony overlooking Cracros’ glittering skyline, the city lights stretching endlessly. Mindy and Wade had already retired to their rooms. Ana had returned to the Bose residence.

The cool night breeze drifted through the open balcony doors, carrying the scent of rain.

James broke the silence, his voice measured. "After the auction, Layton Knight approached me."

Jasper looked up, his expression curious.

"He wanted to buy the Angel Tear. He said he was willing to pay double."

Jasper slowly raised an eyebrow. "Why? For Missy or for Mindy?"

James remained thoughtful for several seconds. "I believe for Mindy. I saw regret. And guilt. He may finally understand what he lost."

Jasper looked toward the night sky, his voice firm. "Too late. I should’ve never agreed to that marriage. I always thought he was cold. Reserved. But I never imagined he would treat my Minny like that."

Silence settled between them again, comfortable and heavy.

After a while, James spoke once more. "There was someone else. Matthias King."

Jasper frowned, his expression darkening.

"He wasn’t there himself. But his assistant approached me. He also wanted the Angel Tear. He said they were willing to pay any amount." James paused, his voice softening. "For Mindy."

Jasper’s expression shifted, surprise flickering across his face. He remained silent for several moments, processing.

James continued quietly, "His assistant made it clear—Mr. King wanted to purchase it as a gift for Miss Wilson. To return what belonged to her mother."

Jasper sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. "His mother was a wonderful woman. Kind. Gentle. But the King family is rotten." His eyes became complicated, distant.

"If Matthias’ grandfather were still alive, he would’ve never left that boy alone." He slowly shook his head.

"I don’t want Minny getting involved in the King family’s chaos. There isn’t a single genuine person left in that household. I don’t know what the future holds. But I only want my grandchildren—Mindy, Wade, and Layla—to finally find happiness."

James smiled softly, his expression warm. "They will. Their foundation is Maria’s teachings. They’ll never walk the wrong path."

Jasper smiled, his eyes glistening. "You’re right. Maria’s downfall was loving her husband too much. I feared Mindy would suffer the same fate."

He looked toward the room where Mindy slept peacefully.

"But now, when I look at her, she’s like a mountain. No storm can move her anymore."